Reversible mechanism for operating washing-machine wringers



March 13,1928. 1,662,552

D. M. WE NGER REVERSIBLE MECHANISM-FOR OPERATING WASHING MACHINE WRINGERS Filed June 19. 1926 Patented Mar. 13, 1928.

DAVID M. WENGER, OF LEOLA, PENNSYLVANIA.

REVERSIBLE MECHANISM FOR OI PEB ATING WASHING-MACHINE WBINGERB.

Application filed June 19,

This invention relates to improvements in swinging reversible mechanism for operating washing machine wringe'rs, particularly in means for providing a forward or reverse motion to the wringer rolls in any of the multiple positions provided by the swinging mechanism.

An object of this invent-ion is to provide a tubular swinging housing containing suitable mechanism for operating the wringer. The tubular housing being provided with a locking means adapted to prevent the lions ing from a swinging movement, but allowing free and full rotation of the driving shafts or mechanism for operating the wringer at all times.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tubular housing constructed of a plurality of parts which may be easily as-'. sembled into interlocked relationship by means of bolts or otherwise. In this invention the entire housing, within which are located the vertical shaft and horizontal shaft to drive the wriugers, as Well as the necessary gearing, is made up of approximately a tubular hollow case, and adapted to swing in either direction on suitable supporting brackets.

A further object .of this invention is to provide a locking mechanism entirely independent from the swinging mechanism and engaging with a gear fixed on the swinging mechanism; due to this construction the locking mechanism is not a part of, nor, does it swing with the swinging mechanism.

' A further object of this invention is to provide a suitable mechanism for reversing the motions of the wringer rolls, the reversing mechanism to be entirely independent and separate from the swinging mechanism, as well as from the locking mechanism, and will function to impart forward or reverse motion through a two-face beveled gear preferably fastened to the vertical driving shaft at its lower end.

Further objects will appear from the following detailed description of the device, and as disclosed int-he single sheet of drawings which is herewith made a part of this application.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 illustrates a front elevational view of the swinging reversible mechanism for operating the washing machine wringer in assembled relationship with a tub, a section of the tubular housing being removed in 1926. Serial No. 117,114.

order to disclose the driving mechanism for operating the wringer.

Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of the tubular housing disclosing in broken lines, various positions into which the wringer may be swung in either direction. a

Fig. 3 represents a cross sectional view of the tubular housing disclosing a vertical driving shaft.

Numeral 1 designates an electric motor mounted on a'suitable support below the tub 2 of the washing machine the bottom line of the tub b eing designated by the numeral 3. The driving function 1 of the motor 1 engages with a larger gear 5 which is keyed to a driving shaft 6, the gear 7 being feathered or slidably keyed to the shaft 6 and adapted to alternately engage gears 8 and 9 which are fixed respectively to counter shafts 10 and 11; on the counter shaft 10 is suitably keyeda mitre gear 12, and on the counter shaft 11 a mitre gear 18, both of which gears are in permanent engagement in opposite sides with a double face mitre gear 14:, which is suitably attached to avertical driving shaft 15 at its lower end directly underneath a supporting bracket 16. -On the shaft 15, at its upper end is adapted to be mounted, a mitre gear 17 which engages with a mitre gear 18, keyed to the driving shaft 19. The shafts 15 and 19 with the mitre gears 17 and 18. are enclosed in a housing 20, which is supported either at the top by a suitable collar portion 21, which may be an integral part of the housing or otherwise as desired, the collar 21 being supported on abracket 22 and at the bottom of the housing by gear 26, fixed on the housing, being supported on a bracket 16. Theshaft 15 is preferably journaled in a bearing 23 at the top of the housing 20'and in a suitable bearing 24 at the bottom of the housing. The shaft 19 is preferably journaled in bearings in the right angled arm 33 portion of the housing 20 and is connected to the shaft of the wringer by a suitable coupling 25.

Agear 26 is fixed to the housing 20, near its lower end and engages with a locking gear 27 which is adapted to be locked or released by the engagement or disengagement with the pawl 29, actuated by a lever arm 28.,

The object of this construction is to permit the housing 20 with all of its attachments,

brackets 22 and 16, by the simple disengagement of pawl 29 from the gear 27. In lockmg, it is merely necessary to operate the lever 28 in the direction to engage pawl 29 with gear 27. The rotation of shaft 6 is imparted to the counter shaft 10 by shifting the sliding gear 7, into engagement with the fixed gear 8 on the counter shaft 10 and to counter shaft 11 by shifting the sliding gear 7 into engagement with the fixed gear 9 on the counter shaft 11. The position of the sliding gear 7 ordinarily is in neutral, and this position would be desirable when pawl 29 is disengaged from gear 27 so that the housing 20 and all its parts may be easily swung either to the right or to the left in any desired position when gear 14 freely turns or rotates in its criphery between gears 12 and 13. The sliding gear 7 is actuated by a yoke 30 operated by a connecting rod 31 which is connected in turn to a lever 32. When the lever 32 is pushed into position L shown by the'broken lines, the gear 7 will be engaged with the fixed gear 8 on the counter shaft 10 which through mitre gear 12 attached to it will function to transmit movement to the double faced mitre gear 14 when the lever 32 is swung into position R shown by the broken outline, the sliding gear 7 will be thrown into engagement with gear 9 fixed on the counter shaft 11 and which through mitre gear 13 keyed to it will transmit a reverse motion to the double faced gear 14, the forward or reverse motion to the double faced gear 14 is transmitted through shaft 15 to which it is fixed to mitre gear 17 keyed to the upper end of the shaft 15, and which in turn imparts movement to mitre gear 18, keyed to the shaft 19, and which is connected to an extended shaft on a wringer by the coupling 25.

It is apparent therefore, that a desired result has been obtained of a forward or reverse motion of the wringer rolls. The wringer, according to this lnvention being adapted to the housing 20, may be swung clement fixed to the vertical shaft, a driving shaft, auxiliary shafts spaced parallel to the driving shaft, suitably formed gears on the auxiliary shafts for meshing with the two tooth faced element, a sliding gear mounted on the driving shaft, gears mounted on the auxiliary shaft for cooperating with the sliding gear, and means for operating the sliding gear in such a manner that it will function to mesh with either one of the cooperating gears on the auxiliary shafts as may be desired, thereby providing means for reversing direction of motion of the vertical shaft.

2. In a driving mechanism for laundry machines, a support, a vertical shaft thereon, means for driving and reversing the motion of the vertical shaft comprising a two tooth faced element fixed to the vertical shaft, suitable transmission gears for coioperating with the two tooth faced element, shaft elements for supporting the transmission gear, a driving shaft spaced from the shaft elements, means for transmitting motion from the driving shaft to the transmission gear, comprising a gear slidably mounted on the driving shaft, cooperating gear suitably mounted and fixed on the shaft elements, means for bringing the sliding gear on the driving shaft in meshed relationship to the fixed gears on the shaft elements depending upon the direction of motion desired in the vertical shaft.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

DAVID M. WENGER. 

